Star Wars Episode VII: Cast Unveiled...slated for 12/18/2015

[PC Engine Fan X!]

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Here's the article in it's entirety by the Associated Press dated 4/30/2014:

"The Force is strong with this cast"

The film "Star Wars: Episode VII" finally has its stars. May the Force be with them.

After months of carefully guarded secrecy and endless Internet speculation, the cast of the latest incarnation of the space epic was unveiled Tuesday (4/29/2014) on the official "Star Wars" website by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Co.

Starring in J.J. Abrams' new "Star Wars" are: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Issac, Max Von Sydow, Andy Serkis, and Domhnall Gleeson.

The companies declined to name the characters each (actors/actress) will play, though Driver, the breakout star of HBO's "Girls," is widely expected to be playing the film's feature villian.

They join returning "Star Wars" (original trilogy) veterans Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Peter Mayhew is also back as Chewbacca and Kenny Baker as R2-D2.

"It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again," director and co-writer Abrams said in a statement. "We start shooting in a couple of weeks (May of 2014) and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud." (That's a very tall order to fulfill but whatever it takes to return to the former glory set by the original SW trilogy, then so be it.)

Disney will "Star Wars: Episode VII," which'll be set 30 years (later) after 1983's's "Return of the Jedi," in December of 2015. (So it won't be released in May of 2015 like with all the other SW films have been released during the month of May...damn!) Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 (for a record $4.2 billion dollars) and immediately put a new "Star Wars" trilogy into development.

The "Episode VII" cast is a mix of fresh faces, up-and-comers and (already) established names.

The 22-year old British actor Boyega is best known for the 2011 science fiction monster movie "Attack the Block." Ridley, also a young British actress, is largely unknown.

Like Driver, Issac is a recent breakout star, following his acclaimed performance in the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis."

The 30-year old Irish actor Gleeson has appeared in numerous films, including 2012's "Anna Karenina" and both parts of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

The British actor Serkis is famous for his digital shape-shifting, playing Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" flims and the gorilla in "King Kong."

Scoring "Episode VII" will be John Williams, who created the original trilogy's famous (musical) themes. (It wouldn't be the same if another music composer did the music even though Williams is already 80 years old now.)

End of article
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It's about damn time that Walt Disney Co. and Lucasfilm let SW fans know what kind of new SW film is going to be made. It's been said that if George Lucas had make Episode VII a mere three years after the events that take place in RoTJ, it would've been released in May of 1986 (and not in the slated December of 2015 timeframe). Oh well, better later than never as the ol' saying goes, right? It would've been nice to keep all the old actors/actresses just to keep the film continuity/flow going without missing a beat (like with all the Harry Potter films in keeping all the actors/actresses as not to break the film continuity/flow analogy). Of course, Lucas has said that he had plans for both Hamill and Fisher to reprise their roles in the later SW films (whenever they were filmed down the road).

So if Anakin Skywalker is at age 46 years old in RoTJ according to Lucasfilm, that would make the Jedi twins of Luke and Leia at age 23 years old respectively. So fast forward a mere 30 years later with SW:Episode VII, that would place the Jedi twins to be at age 53 years old, indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Moniker]

Honestly a little worried about the original cast. The ravages of time haven't been completely kind.

[trap15]

The way I see it, it certainly can't be worse than the prequels.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

It's quite a lofty goal to fulfill the high bar set with the original trilogy if the upcoming Episode VII film is to meet or exceed it -- that would be the ideal SW film to see/behold. We'll see if that is to be, or not.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Mortificator]

After the stupidity of Star Trek Into Darkness, I have very little anticipation for another Abrams-directed space movie.

[Never_Scurred]

First off...fuck George Lucas.
Now that I got that off my chest, I'm going in with 0 expectations. I know nothing of the cast or of JJ Abrams work so I have no idea what his style of directing is like. This may very well be a good thing, I only hope he doesn't decide to OD on the CG like GL did. Hopefully, they will go for a more mature, grittier style of sci-fi but still maintain that lighthearted adventurous feel of the original trilogy.

[drauch]

The way I see it, it certainly can't be worse than the prequels.

I dunno about that. Turds don't get better with age.

[trap15]

Yes, but it's hard to out-turd those turds

[EmperorIng]

The thing that surprises me most is that Max von Sydow is still in movies. The man is truly, in the scariest sense of the word, timeless.

[Mortificator]

I've said before that I like the prequels, though I won't say they're good movies. I'm far from a film guru, and not nearly as confident judging that medium as I am with video games.

I have to ask, though, do you people who don't like the prequels think that they're relatively worse compared to their predecessors than new Star Trek is to its own? Because it seems to me that if the relationship between Star Wars' original trilogy and the prequel trilogy is a decline, the relationship between classic Trek and Into Darkness is the Grand Canyon.

[Moniker]

I guess I'm lonely in liking the new Star Treks. Into Darkness had some plot retread and deus ex machina issues with its predecessor in the beginning and end, and remakes certain scenes from Wrath of Khan too faithfully, but otherwise I can't fault it for much. Cumberbatch is a superior Khan, Simon Pegg is a superior Scotty, Zachary Quinto is pretty much an equal Spock, and Chris Pine has an impossible assignment, but acquits himself well.

Anyway, I figure JJ Abrams will make a *good* movie, if not a classic one. He's always been at least 'good.' Similar cannot be said for you-know-who.

[Damocles]

I'm more bummed about (some of) the expanded universe now being ignored. Most of it was a mess, but there were a few excellent characters there. We don't get Thrawn, but we'll always be stuck with those dumbass midichlorians.

Actually, can it be a trade? We ignore the expanded universe if we can also ignore the prequels?

[Moniker]

I'm more bummed about (some of) the expanded universe now being ignored. Most of it was a mess, but there were a few excellent characters there. We don't get Thrawn, but we'll always be stuck with those dumbass midichlorians.

Actually, can it be a trade? We ignore the expanded universe if we can also ignore the prequels?

I'm guessing it'll be focus-grouped enough where the most egregious faults of the prequels won't be brought up again. No midichlorians, ewoks, minstrel-show aliens, or General Grievouses (shudder). But we can only hope.

Edit: It suddenly occurred to me that the prequels are perhaps the sole film equivalent of 'too big to fail.'

[Pretas]

I assume they are ditching the original expanded universe plotline where Palpatine gets cloned and resurrected?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I assume they are ditching the original expanded universe plotline where Palpatine gets cloned and resurrected?

I'm sure that this has been discussed at the roundtable with Abrams and Lucasfilm but where to start after RoTJ and how to advance the plot along? At one time, Lucas had envisioned the SW saga as a possible nine or even a twelve movies serialization.

Heir to the Empire with Grand Admiral Thrawn & Co. would've seemed to have been the logical choice to continue the SW series with the techincal wizardry of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) handling the special EFX (assuming if it was greenlit for film production) but it's really up the head honchos at Walt Disney and Lucasfilm to see how they want to take the new SW trilogy in a possible different direction? That'd still be dealing with the remanants of the Galactic Empire (or what's left of it). The issue with the Spartti cloning process still remains a very viable issue at hand, if used in the hands of evil-doers to resurrect long dead ones, it will lead to problems that the New Republic would have fix/rectify.

As usual, Lucas is retained as special creative consultant for all future SW films indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[ACSeraph]

I guess I'm lonely in liking the new Star Treks.

Nah I actually thought they were alright for what they were. They aren't really comparable to "real" Star Trek, but taken as the blockbuster action movies they are they were decent. It's good that they take place in their own universe, since it prevents them from staining the original vision on the series too much.

As for Star Wars, I'm kind of with trap15, it certainly couldn't get any worse.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Fuck the EU

I have high hopes for this, I've been marathoning the Clone Wars over the last few weeks which is just really excellent - proof that someone out there still knows how to make Star Wars great. Super exited for Rebels too.

I really have no idea where they're going to take this though. Literally everything was tied up at the end of ROTJ, I hope the sequels aren't just abut protecting Endor from continent sized, falling Death Star chunks. I imagine there will be a bunch of Force-wielding kids of the original cast and one of them will turn to the dark side and that will be our story.

Tie Fighters, please.

[ACSeraph]

I've been marathoning the Clone Wars over the last few weeks

I would have thought this was some sort of disappointment/boredom endurance training.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

^You didn't watch past the movie and the first few eps then?

[Mischief Maker]

Wasn't it enough seeing Indiana Jones as a tired senior citizen marrying a badly aged Marion? Now we get to see an old and decrepit Han Solo marrying a badly aged Leia, too?

If there was any justice in the universe, they'd shitcan this movie and use the budget to make Dredd 2.

[CMoon]

No fan of Abrams, but on the other hand, he at least understands the need for some goddamn action instead of the politically overloaded/capsized prequels. Part of why ANH and ESB work is because of their immediacy. That said, I'll be upfront and admit I can't be a kid again and experience the same magic--still, ESB is a great film now, nostalgia glasses off. SW, regardless of how bad it gets will still be this series I go to theatre to watch. That said, I hope to hell it is better than the prequels because I never want to see that shit again.

[dan76]

Tie Fighters, please.

This. I just want it to look like Star Wars. They don't have to design any new shit, just re use the old stuff. I want to see an AT-AT on tatooine - old, but new - that way I will know it's Star Wars.

Serkis probably means there's going to be some kind of complete cgi character in there - it never works, ever. Not sure about the cast, but I'd rather watch Han and Chewie in the Millenium Falcon no matter how old they are than a bunch of brats learning the ways of the force.

I think it will be shit, but I really want it to be great. Just like Resident Evil 7. Certainly going to see it at the cine.

[GaijinPunch]

The thing that surprises me most is that Max von Sydow is still in movies. The man is truly, in the scariest sense of the word, timeless.

I think he's pickled.
Best performance: Brewmeister Smith

I guess I'm lonely in liking the new Star Treks. Into Darkness had some plot retread and deus ex machina issues with its predecessor in the beginning and end, and remakes certain scenes from Wrath of Khan too faithfully, but otherwise I can't fault it for much. Cumberbatch is a superior Khan, Simon Pegg is a superior Scotty, Zachary Quinto is pretty much an equal Spock, and Chris Pine has an impossible assignment, but acquits himself well.

I'm with you -- then again, I'm not a Trekkie. They are aimed at the main stream for sure, but the cast is well done. Chris Pine is popcorn actor redefined, but I kind of like the ridiculously cocky Kirk.

I want to see an AT-AT on tatooine - old, but new - that way I will know it's Star Wars.

I want it in Technicolor.

[BrianC]

Chris Pine is popcorn actor redefined, but I kind of like the ridiculously cocky Kirk.

Was-n't Shat-ner pop-corn act-or de-fined? I like TOS quite a bit, as well as the new movies, though.

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, but it was a different era back then. I think it was, anyway.

[Skykid]

You know, as Hollywood mill actors go, and regardless of whether you like his movies, Chris Pine at least knows how to act.

[Mischief Maker]

Tie Fighters, please.

This. I just want it to look like Star Wars. They don't have to design any new shit, just re use the old stuff. I want to see an AT-AT on tatooine - old, but new - that way I will know it's Star Wars.

All those lightsabers and stormtroopers didn't make the prequels look like Star Wars?

[ACSeraph]

^The prequels look too clean and bright to me. The originals definitely have a grittier look.

[Skykid]

Tie Fighters, please.

This. I just want it to look like Star Wars. They don't have to design any new shit, just re use the old stuff. I want to see an AT-AT on tatooine - old, but new - that way I will know it's Star Wars.

All those lightsabers and stormtroopers didn't make the prequels look like Star Wars?

It looked like someone with no taste had commandeered a plastics factory.

These new movies can't be worse than the prequels, by virtue of the fact that if nothing else, they'll probably have a relatable plot and some kind of characters.

All bets are off for everything else though. I'm going in with the absolute lowest expectations.

[Pretas]

I imagine there will be a bunch of Force-wielding kids of the original cast and one of them will turn to the dark side and that will be our story.

You're likely not far off. Han and Leia's expanded universe son Jacen Solo becomes Darth Caedus.